Through the Japanese Alps

A big travelling day with a couple of unique stops.

First stop was to see the small, historical village of Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Japanese Alps. We walked through this village of traditional thatched houses (gassho-zukuri) set amongst beautiful mountain scenery.
We are seeing a lot more autumn foliage. Managed to find a hill to climb that overlooked this quaint village.

Then we headed to the city of Takayama, nestled in the Hida mountains.
This city still retains a traditional feel, however the main reason for this stop was to break the journey and have lunch. Some of us had a bento box meal (we did), while others participated in sake tasting.

From Takayama we drove to Matsumoto (about 3 hours) through some spectacular mountainous scenery, sometimes quite narrow and winding. Our bus driver - Ken San- is doing a fantastic job. Funny guy who is trying to pick up our Aussie lingo - G'day mate, see you later etc.Read more